Kong and Skory are both Woodruff Lab members pursuing dual MD/PhDs at Northwestern University, meaning they want to be involved in both the clinical and research aspects of oncofertility. Clearly they are invested in the scientific pathways oncofertility has to offer, but from a clinical perspective, they assert that obstetrician gynecologists are the best advocates for their patients to help them make informed decisions about their future fertility. According to the authors, “obstetricians and gynecologists [are] the primary physicians to many women during their reproductive years [thus] are in a unique position to be at the forefront of the oncofertility initiative by ensuring [they receive] the proper counseling, referrals, and continuity of care for their patients before, during, and after cancer treatment.”

For many young women, once they’ve reached the pinnacle of pediatric care (18yrs old), they are no longer regularly immersed in follow-up medical care as parents, schools, etc, require. Often the physician they see the most is their OB/GYN, whether it be for birth control options, pre natal care or their yearly exams. Many young women build long-standing patient/physician relationships with their OB/GYN as they did with their pediatricians. It is with this understanding that the authors claim the responsibility for the continuum of care falls upon the OB/GYN in many cases. Thus, the more informed they are in the field of oncofertility, the less patients will encounter a gap in their comprehensive cancer care, specifically in fertility preservation.

An OB/GYN is also in a key role should a cancer diagnosis present itself during a woman’s pregnancy. More studies need to be done on the long term affects of chemotherapy regimes on fetus development and future fertility, but there are treatments that women can undergo in their second and third trimester of pregnancy to try and eradicate the disease. According to the authors, “although it is an uncommon diagnosis, cancer during pregnancy presents a critical scenario that must be carefully treated by a multidisciplinary team of obstetrician gynecologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, pediatricians, genetic counselors, and patient navigators.” Again, as the multidisciplinary field of oncofertility develops, it is imperative that clinicians and scientists from diverse fields collaborate to provide patients with the best care possible and the most options for their future fertility.

A few days ago, we posted a blog about Giuliana Rancic’s personal experiences this year, first with infertility treatments, and then with a breast cancer diagnosis. Her story caused people to ask if her infertility treatments were related to her breast cancer diagnosis. Simultaneously, this fall, a...

Categories:

Our undergraduate oncofertility reporter, Meredith Wise, brings us the first of two blogs on Giuliana Rancic and her current experiences with infertility and breast cancer. Mrs. Rancic is using her celebrity to educate the world on these important issues, which gives us all something to reflect...

Categories:

A recent blog post in the academic journal, Nature, explores a new report by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (an organization in England that examines and reports on ethical issues in biology and medicine), suggesting that women who donate their unfertilized eggs to research deserve to be...

Categories:

As cancer survival rates continue to increase, survivorship quality-of-life issues are also gaining more attention. One of the most debilitating conditions that breast cancer patients experience is called lymphedema. Lymphedama is an accumulation of fluid within parts of the body that is caused by...

Categories:

We are proud to announce that the International Society for Fertility Preservation newsletter for Fall, 2011 will include an article on the significant work of Patient Navigators in this field. Read the reprint below!

-------------

Cancer and its treatment often impair the future fertility of...

Categories:

Recently there has been a lot of attention brought to the concept of collaboration in academia, specifically in the sciences. Gone are the days (at least in our niche) where disciplines drew a dividing line in the sand – scientists keep to one side of the room, humanities, you go play in the other...

Categories:

For many women, temporary hair loss during chemotherapy is a very emotional and difficult experience. Hair loss occurs because chemotherapy targets all rapidly dividing cells—healthy cells as well as cancer cells. Hair follicles contain some of the fastest-growing cells in the body, and as the...

Categories:

Meredith Wise is a senior at Northwestern University majoring in Pre-med and English. Her interests in women's health and fertility started in high school when she shadowed an infertility specialist. She never thought that fertility would ever become an issue for her young friends but when one,...

Categories:

The Oncofertility Consortium and the Hormone Foundation developed fact sheets for men, women, and children to learn about the impact of cancer on their fertility, hormonal management, and fertility options. These fact sheets are available at SaveMyFertility.org, a website which provides patients...

Categories:

I’m excited to be writing about the second issue of the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology (JAYAO) , the first cancer journal of it’s kind. This second issue is no small feat - many journals come and go and it takes a dedicated editorial staff and readership to keep the ship afloat....

Categories:

Cancer, Fertility Preservation, General, In the news, Oncofertility, Research

The Oncofertility Saturday Academy, a national program to educate high school students originated at the Women's Health Science Program, which just received a Presidential Award for excellence in mentoring. Here are the details!

_____________________

Latina and African American high-school girls...

Categories:

Every year, 70,000 adolescents and young adults (AYAs) between the ages of 15-40 are diagnosed with cancer. They may experience this diagnosis as a devastating twist of fate that has the potential for derailing their life from its current track. However, with the changes in...

Categories:

Earlier this year, I blogged about a young woman and volunteer with Bright Pink, Kristin Nelson, who had preventative ovarian removal after she tested positive for BRCA1. BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are a class of genes otherwise known as tumor suppressors, and a mutation of these genes has been linked...

Categories:

November is all about “Movember” for those in the know. If you’ve never heard this term before, it’s about time we caught you up. Every year in November, Movember is the reason you see thousands of newly mustachioed men throughout the US and around the world. With their new “Mo’s,” these men raise...

Categories:

The Cancer Support Community (CSC) was formed in 2009 by the the Wellness Community and Gilda’s Club. Together, they offer both psychological and social support to individuals living with cancer. CSC is committed to behavioral, psychosocial and survivorship research and training in an effort to...

Categories:

This is the second part of our interview with Fertile Action, a group that provides financial support for young cancer patients looking to preserve their fertility. Read the first blog on Fertile Action and enjoy this second one.

Disclaimer

The contents of the Oncofertility Consortium Blog are for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.